What Is the Care Leaver Local Offer? What Changed in 2026
Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Written by the family law paralegal team at Court Help Limited
In short: The care leaver local offer is the information every council in England must publish about the help it gives young people leaving care. Since 30 September 2026, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 says it must also cover money skills, financial support, help with housing and stopping homelessness, and how the council supports the move into adult life.
Key facts | Details |
What changed | Councils in England must now say how they help care leavers move into adult life, manage money, find and keep a home and avoid homelessness |
In force from | 30 September 2026 |
Where it applies | England (councils in England). Wales has its own rules |
The law | Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 section 8, amending section 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 |
Who it affects | Care leavers, including former relevant children under 25, and the people who support them |
Source checked | legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK, 11 November 2026 |
What was the law before?
Since 1 April 2018, section 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 has made every council in England publish a "local offer for care leavers". It had to list the services the council offers, plus other services that might help with health and wellbeing, relationships, education and training, work, accommodation and taking part in society. Councils had to consult care leavers and keep the offer up to date. What it didn't spell out was money, housing plans or what the council does to stop a young person ending up homeless.
What changed, and when?
Section 8 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 came into force on 30 September 2026 (the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/803, regulation 6(b)). It rewrites part of section 2 of the 2017 Act. In plain terms, the care leaver local offer now has to cover:
how the council supports care leavers' transition to adulthood and independent living
financial literacy, which is the new word in the list of services (budgeting, bank accounts, credit, debt and saving)
how the council plans ahead for care leavers' future housing and support needs
how it works with local housing teams to help former relevant children under 25 find and keep a suitable home
what help there is for a young person at risk of homelessness, or coming out of prison, a young offender institution or a secure training centre
the financial support on offer
what the council does early on to stop former relevant children under 25 becoming homeless
The same day, section 9 of the 2026 Act stopped councils treating most care leavers under 25 (relevant and former relevant children) as intentionally homeless. We explain that rule in our guide on whether care leavers can be found intentionally homeless.
The Department for Education also published new statutory guidance, "Care leaver local offer: guidance for local authorities", which took effect on 30 September 2026. It says the offer should be easy to find and use on a phone, not just a PDF, and it expects councils to update it at least every two years after asking care leavers what they think.
What does the care leaver local offer mean for you?
If you've left care, or you're about to, your council's care leaver local offer is your checklist. It should tell you, in one place, what you're entitled to and what extra help your particular council chooses to give. Most councils put it on their website, usually under "care leavers" or "leaving care".
Some help is set out in law or national guidance, so you should get it wherever you live in England. GOV.UK says:
you should have a pathway plan from 16, reviewed at least every six months
you should have a personal adviser until you're 21, or 25 if you ask
your council must help you stay with your foster carer after 18 if you want to (called staying put), which might last until you're 21 or until you finish education or training
there's a higher education bursary of £2,000 from your council, a 16 to 19 bursary of up to £1,200 a year for full-time education, and a care leavers' bursary for apprentices of £1,000 or £3,000, claimed through your training provider
The new guidance says eligible care leavers are entitled to a leaving care allowance, sometimes called a setting up home allowance, of at least £3,000 to buy the basics for a first home. Councils can give more.
Other help is up to each council. Some councils, for example, have chosen to give care leavers help with council tax. That's exactly why the local offer matters. It tells you what your own council does, so you aren't relying on what a friend in another area was told.
For example, a 19-year-old who left foster care last year gets the keys to her first flat. She checks her council's local offer and sees the setting up home allowance, a budgeting session and the name of the team to call if she falls behind on rent. She takes the page to her next pathway plan review and asks her personal adviser to help her claim each part. Some of it only starts when you ask, so asking early helps.
Who does the local offer cover?
The offer is for "care leavers", which in the 2017 Act includes eligible and relevant children (aged 16 and 17), former relevant children under 25, and people qualifying for advice and assistance. GOV.UK explains that you usually count as a care leaver if you were in care for at least 13 weeks between 14 and 16, including a day after your 16th birthday. If you were in care for less time, you may still be offered advice and some practical or financial help.
It also matters to the people around a care leaver: former foster carers, kinship carers, grandparents and birth parents who want to help a young adult get settled. If you're a relative raising a child, our guide to support for kinship carers explains the separate kinship local offer.
How do I use the care leaver local offer if help isn't given?
Start by asking. Take the page to your personal adviser and ask which parts apply to you, and ask for anything agreed to be written into your pathway plan. Keep emails and notes of calls.
If you're unhappy with a review or the support you're getting, GOV.UK says you can make a formal complaint, and your social worker, personal adviser or Independent Reviewing Officer must explain how. You can also ask for an independent advocate to help you. The Children's Commissioner says most council complaints have three stages, and if you're still unhappy after that you can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Children's Commissioner's Help at Hand service gives advice to care leavers on 0800 528 0731.
Housing is often the most urgent part. If you're told you can't get help with housing, ask for the decision in writing, and remember the new rule from the same date that most care leavers under 25 can't be treated as intentionally homeless.
What if a care leaver is in prison or a young offender institution?
The new law names this group for the first time. A council's local offer must now say how it helps former relevant children under 25 find and keep a home when they're released from prison, a young offender institution or a secure training centre. The statutory guidance adds that councils should explain how they keep in touch during custody, plan for release, and work with prisons and probation on housing and money. If a young person you care about is due out, ask their personal adviser early what the plan is, rather than waiting for the release date.
Does the care leaver local offer apply in Wales?
No. Section 2 of the 2017 Act applies to councils in England, and the new statutory guidance says it applies to England. Wales has its own rules on help for care leavers, so check with your Welsh council. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems too.
What if my child is still in care?
Parents often ask us what happens when a child in care reaches 16 or 18. The local offer is written for the young person, but it's useful for you too, because it shows the support your child should be getting as they move on. If your child is the subject of a care order, our guide to care orders explains how that order works and how it ends. If your child is placed a long way from you, our guide to a child in care placed far from home covers your options, and our guide to applying for contact with a child in care explains how to keep in touch through the court if you need to.
Your role changes once your child turns 18 and is an adult. They make their own choices about the help they accept, and the council deals with them directly. You can still encourage them to ask for their pathway plan and to read the local offer with their personal adviser.
Frequently asked questions
What is the care leaver local offer?
The care leaver local offer is the information a council in England must publish about the services and support it offers care leavers, and other services that may help them. It's required by section 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.
What did the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 add to the local offer?
From 30 September 2026, the care leaver local offer must also cover financial literacy, financial support, help with the transition to adult life, planning for housing, help finding and keeping a home, and early help to prevent homelessness for former relevant children under 25.
What is a setting up home allowance for care leavers?
A setting up home allowance is money to buy the essentials for your first home, such as furniture and kitchen items. The new statutory guidance calls it the leaving care allowance and says it's at least £3,000. It isn't meant for rent or bills.
Can I get a personal adviser after I turn 21?
Yes, if you ask. GOV.UK says your council must keep a personal adviser for you until you're 21, or 25 if you want that support to carry on.
How do I find my council's care leaver local offer?
Search your council's website for "care leavers local offer" or "leaving care", or ask your personal adviser to send you a copy. The guidance says it should be easy to find and work on a phone.
Can I complain if my council doesn't follow its local offer?
Yes. You can use the council's complaints procedure, ask for an independent advocate to help you, and if you're still unhappy at the end, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to look at it.
How we can help
Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm in England and Wales. We're not solicitors and we don't represent clients in court, but we can help parents, relatives and young people understand letters from the council, prepare for meetings and put their questions in writing. Email help@incourt.co.uk or use the contact form on our website, and have a look at what our clients say in our Google reviews. If you're wondering whether you could get legal aid, our guide to legal aid for family court explains the means test.
Related guides
Sources
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, Part 1 (section 8), legislation.gov.uk, checked 11 November 2026
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/803, legislation.gov.uk, checked 11 November 2026
Children and Social Work Act 2017, section 2, legislation.gov.uk, checked 11 November 2026
Care leaver local offer: guidance for local authorities (effective from 30 September 2026), GOV.UK, checked 11 November 2026
Leaving foster or local authority care, GOV.UK, checked 11 November 2026
Leaving care: your rights (Help at Hand), Children's Commissioner for England, checked 11 November 2026
This article is general information about the law in England and Wales. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and court fees and procedures change, so check GOV.UK for the latest position. Court Help Limited is a family law paralegal firm, not a firm of solicitors, and does not represent clients in court.
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